In decommissioning high level radioactive sites, such as power plants, various highly radioactive aqueous fluids must be treated and disposed of. These fluids can be produced during the operation of the plant or they can be the result of solubilizing radioactive deposits on plant hardware. Before these fluids can be disposed of, they must be treated to remove the radioactive ions dissolved therein. This is typically accomplished by passing the fluids through ion exchange resins.
This treatment has not been entirely satisfactory, however, because the fluids often attack the ion exchange resins, break them down, and render them useless. This is because ion exchange resins are made of organic polymers, and organic polymers are degraded by intense radiation, and by the very low pH of some of the fluids.